Chen Chen‘s path to opening his second Toronto location in Wellington Market at The Well began with an unlikely combination: professional poker, festival food service, and an authentic Nashville upbringing that would eventually reshape Toronto’s hot chicken landscape.
“I moved to the United States when I was two years old, moved to Nashville when I was five,” Chen Chen, Founder of Chen Chen’s Nashville Hot Chicken explains. “Basically grew up in the South, basically my whole childhood, early adulthood, went to University of Tennessee.”
After pursuing poker professionally in California, Chen Chen’s first kitchen experience came through a friend’s food business at Bonnaroo, the largest camping music festival in America. “That’s kind of where I learned my first kitchen management experience. I had no kitchen experience at the time,” he recalls. “Bonnaroo was the ultimate test because our booth was open 24 hours a day for three days and literally didn’t sleep.”
Discovering Toronto’s Opportunity
The transition to Toronto came through poker connections, but Chen Chen quickly recognized the city’s unique cultural fabric. “I was actually in Vegas at the time and a friend of mine invited me to Toronto,” he says. “The more I stayed in Toronto, the more I realized that the diversity in Toronto is different than any other city in the world.”
During his travels, Chen Chen identified a significant gap in Toronto’s food scene. “I just recently went to Thailand the year before. In Thailand, they had a Nashville hot chicken restaurant with mac and cheese, sweet tea, like the whole nine yards. And so basically I was like, why does Toronto not have that?”
Understanding that authentic execution required proper training, Chen Chen made a strategic investment in his culinary education. “I went to culinary school. So I did one year at George Brown Culinary School, then I did a year of Small Business Entrepreneurship School at George Brown.”
The educational foundation led to market testing through a pop-up at Stackt Market. “The pop-up did well at Stackt Market,” Chen Chen notes, validating demand before establishing his permanent Queen West location.
Building Authentic Differentiation
Chen Chen’s competitive strategy centers on cultural authenticity rather than menu replication. “People are copying Nashville hot chicken all across the world. But without going to Nashville, living in Nashville, you can’t really get the essence of the culture that it brings,” he explains.
The hospitality element forms the cornerstone of his differentiation. “One thing in Nashville that’s different from anywhere else in the world is the hospitality. So hospitality is a very real thing. It’s very genuine,” Chen Chen continues. “You’ll meet some of the nicest people in Nashville, even at Wendy’s. So I think the hospitality aspect would give us an edge.”
This cultural foundation extends to comprehensive menu execution. “People can do Nashville hot chicken, can they do everything that complements the hot chicken and know how to balance it?” he asks, referencing Nashville’s “Meat and Three” restaurant tradition where sides carry equal importance to main dishes.
The approach has earned industry recognition, with Yelp naming Chen Chen’s the #1 Place to Eat in Canada in 2024, validating the authenticity-driven strategy.
Employee Culture as Business Philosophy
Chen Chen’s operational philosophy extends authentic hospitality to staff relations, viewing employee satisfaction as competitive advantage. “My two favorite reviews I’ve ever had are actually on Indeed, five star reviews from employees saying how much they learned and how thoughtful we are towards them,” he explains.
The approach reflects calculated business thinking. “We want to make sure that everyone is treated with respect. People aren’t seen as disposable as is pretty common in the restaurant industry,” Chen Chen says. “It’s a win-win for everyone because if you treat staff well and your staff don’t turn over, you may pay them more, but it costs money to train every single employee.”
This culture-first approach influences expansion strategy, with Chen Chen maintaining hands-on involvement during new openings. “The output of the business is all predicated on the input of what the owner and the management put into the business,” he emphasizes.
Strategic Partnership Development at The Well
The Wellington Market opportunity exemplifies modern retail leasing’s evolution toward partnership-driven tenant discovery. Kariv Oretsky from The Well’s leasing team discovered Chen Chen’s concept through authentic customer experience rather than traditional presentations.
“Kariv was actually a customer first,” Chen Chen explains. “He literally just kept coming in, ordering the Szechuan sandwich. He’d probably come by four or five times at least before we even had conversations about the market.”
This organic discovery occurred as The Well’s leasing team strategized Wellington Market’s expansion phase. The relationship-first approach allowed evaluation of Chen Chen’s operational standards, customer appeal, and brand authenticity through direct observation rather than promotional materials.
The extended courtship reflected both parties’ commitment to strategic fit. “We were actually being pre-negotiated for close to four years before we finally made an offer,” Chen Chen recalls. Pandemic uncertainties complicated the timeline: “It was COVID, right? So it was tough to try to take that risk and invest hundreds of thousands of dollars, not knowing when the market’s going to open.”
The partnership model demonstrates how sophisticated retail developments increasingly prioritize cultural alignment over pure financial metrics. Kariv’s repeated visits provided evidence of genuine customer loyalty that traditional leasing presentations cannot replicate.
Wellington Market’s Strategic Positioning
The Well’s decision to pursue Chen Chen’s concept aligns with Wellington Market’s positioning as Toronto’s premier food hall destination. The 70,000-square-foot venue recently received Gold in the Restaurant/Casual Dining category at the 2025 International Shop! Association Design Awards, establishing its credentials among North America’s leading food hall developments.
Wellington Market’s 20,000-square-foot expansion introduces Chen Chen’s alongside a curated roster including BEAR Steak Sandwiches, KAO KANG by the Michelin-recognized Koh Lipe team, and Giragi by Taline, another Michelin-recognized concept serving contemporary Armenian Lebanese cuisine. The expansion brings the 900-seat venue to full capacity with over 50 merchants.
Designed by Giannone Petricone Associates Inc. Architects, the award-winning space features reclaimed wood from the original site, repurposed oil drums as light fixtures, and design elements referencing the area’s shoreline heritage through The Pier bar. The venue operates with comprehensive liquor licensing extending across all 70,000 square feet.
The Well’s strategic location at Front, Spadina, and Wellington streets combines 1.2 million square feet of office space and 320,000 square feet dedicated to retail and food service, with 1,700 residential units across six buildings. The development attracts approximately 25,000 daily visitors, including 11,000 residents and employees living and working onsite.
Wellington Market extends beyond dining through diverse programming including Weekly Night Market DJ Series, and ongoing public chess and trivia nights. Wellington Event Venue, a 5,000-square-foot space designed by BDP Quadrangle, accommodates over 200 guests for culinary demonstrations and corporate events.
Adapting to Post-Pandemic Market Dynamics
Chen Chen’s expansion strategy addresses fundamental shifts in Toronto’s retail landscape. “Toronto’s definitely changed after COVID. People have less spending money. People don’t want to waste their time based on traffic. People are just busy,” he observes.
Location selection became increasingly critical. “You can’t just open up anywhere anymore and people are just going to be able to come. Even if they want your food, it’s difficult just because of how much traffic is in the city now,” Chen Chen explains.
Wellington Market’s positioning addresses these challenges through residential density and year-round accessibility. “I think the Wellington Market’s a great location because there’s a couple hundred thousand people living across three city plays, plus tourist traffic from the Jays games, from concerts,” he notes.
Market research revealed changing suburban traffic patterns. “We had a huge percentage of our weekend traffic this past summer come from Mississauga and Etobicoke. And now I just read an article last week that says 91% of people in Mississauga don’t want to come downtown.”
The covered environment provides weather-independent operations. “When I was looking for a new location, I wanted to look for a place where you didn’t have to rely solely on third party apps when the weather is bad,” Chen Chen explains.
Sustainable Growth Philosophy
Chen Chen’s expansion approach prioritizes operational excellence over rapid scaling. Future growth remains selective, focusing on locations that support authentic service standards and cultural alignment.
The Wellington Market location operates seven days a week, featuring the complete Chen Chen’s menu including Nashville hot chicken with heat levels from Southern (no heat) to Poultrygeist (extra hot), alongside signature Szechuan-infused variations and Southern staples like mac and cheese and Dirty South fries.
Despite industry challenges, Chen Chen maintains an optimistic outlook. “The ring isn’t dead as long as you keep fighting,” he concludes, reflecting the persistence that carried him from Nashville’s music festival circuit to Toronto’s most prestigious food hall.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.